Rack-evaporator



F. WILLIAMS. RACK EvAPoRAToR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1921.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921. a sHElaTs-SHEET 1.

F. WILLIAMS.

RACK EVAPORATOR.. APPLICATION FILED FEB.25,1921.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. WILLIAMS. RACK EVAPORATOR.

APPLlcATIoN H1130 P21125. 1921.

1,388,152,V I Pa1en1edAug.16,1921.`

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/Nl/E/Vrae' FEA/vc@ WILL 14M S UNITED STATES PATENT orifice.'

FRANCIS WILLIAMS, or ALnLAInn-s'oUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA.

RACK-EVAPORATOR.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANoIs'WILLIAMs e a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at C.' B. S; Building, 9() King Williamstreet, Adelaide, State of South Australia, Commonwealth of; Australia,have invented a certain new and useful Improved Rack-Evaporator, (forwhich I have obtained a patent in Australia, No. 14,235, Feb. 3, 1920,)of which the following isa specification.` Y

This invention relates to an improved` evaporator, ofthe type known asrack evaporators, and it has been specially devised in order to providean evaporator with which the dryingprocess may be .eifectively andexpeditiously .completed in one building. And further, although thisimproved rack yevaporator has been particularly devised it may bereadily adapted for' drying fruits,

; to treatother materials such as, for instance,

` timber, skins,

. the evaporator chamber fibrous sheetsV and bricks. This-improved rackevaporator comprises, preparing room, :sulfur a wilting-ro'om and anevaporator chamber all arranged within a building'of :specialconstruction, a set or sets ofcracks also of special constructionadapted to be' traveled throughy vthe several rooms and chambers, andsupports for such racks. y The building has a cover 4or roof that is'vsupported upon posts arranged inV transverse pairsin rows longitudinallyofthe building. There is asetor tier of'racks between each row of pairsof posts, and each post carries a number of rollers,`oneA for each rack,upon which the racks maybe traveled. c

Each rack has a frame comprising longitudinal side members, of wood ormetal, connected by transverse members at convenient intervalscorresponding withY the width of and reinforced by longitudinaland'diagonal wires. The frame is covered with netting. or hessian, orwood to support the materials' tobe dried.

' The racks `may be of any convenient length ;l there may be'any numberofy racks ina set or tier and any ,number of sets of racks may be usedlaccording 50,

more readilylcarried into practical etlj'ect ity to the quan`tity'ofmaterial to .-be treated. f But in order that theinvention maybe "are outwardly of the wilting Specification of Letters Iiatent.Patented Aug, 16, 1921. Applica/cin lea'rebruary 25, 1921. serial No.447,871. I y

will now be described with reference to they 4 is a plan of a rack framepartly Y covered with netting.

vations respectively showing portions ofone construction of. racks, andtheir supports while c Figs. 7 and 8 are similar vviews of a modiicationof. such construction.

.Fig 9 is"a transverse section of a rack with wooden longitudinals.,

Fig. .10 is a detail view showing the method of joining thev sections ofmetal longitudinals ofthe rack; c A Y f The evaporating chamber and thewilting roomY aresituate'd side by side medially longitudinally of thebuilding and extend from the Vfront tothe back thereof;the preparingroom -1 is outwardlyof the, evaporating chamber 2, and the sulfuringchambers 3 room'l The :supporting 'posts 5 may be of'wood or metalv andtheyare'arranged lin transverse pairs in rows longitudinally ofthebuildingg There is sufficient room between each of the posts cfa pairto-accommodate a set or tier of racks 6 while there issuliicient: roombe tween each to be readily loaded and cleared.` l

Each rack.6 is supportedl on .wheels or rollers 7 arranged in opposedpairs on" the pairs of posts 5. These wheels are preferably flanged asat 8 and they arev carried'on pins 9 protruding from brackets 10 that`are secured to the posts 5 by bolts 11.V The 'racks maybeof any desiredlength. f f

Each rack has a frame comprising longitudinal lmembers. 12' extendingthe"r full length of the rackand transverse members 13, secured theretoat regular? intervals. Lon- `gitudinalv stay` wires 14 and diagonalvwires l5 complete Tand reinforce the frame.4

vThe side members 12 may be `of wood Figs. 5 and` 6 arevdetail endandside ele-'Z pair of rows to enable the racks shown in Figs. 5,6 and 9vor they may `be ofg.-

metal piping as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In the latter construction thesections of piping 16 are joined together by screw threaded plugs 17 Vsothat the pipes present a continuous surface to the supporting rollers'2'.

traveled longitudinally of the building tliroughfthe various Y rooms andcompartments Vby suitable mechanism, not shown in Y the drawings.

When treating vine fruits or'berries on f racks covered With netting thebottom rack ,l gmanner.

Awill befsupported 1.a convenient distance from the floor lto spermitthe insertion of a.

tray or trays to catch anyl berries that may @fall from the racks.

When it is desiredwtotreat materials or products kother than fruitthe-distance bei .f-tween the racksvvi-ll be varied` according to thematerial to beetieated; and itmav be-A advisable, in some cases, tosubstitute Lvvheeled trucks` supported .onrails for the racks androllers.

.The evaporating chamber?J and the Wilting room 4 mavbeheatedin anyconvenient 2O underthe forwardpart of the chamber 2, the gases fromwhich furnace `pass through -flues 21'and 22 to *sets* of'vertical tubesor pipes 23 in the chamberQ; andthe roomV 4; f

v'lhese-setsoi'l pipes 23 lead through-radi;

ator boxes-24 to outletiiues `25. -Fans 26 40 draw the. heatedairithroughxthe chamber 2 and the air current is deflected bya' baffle27 into.the-rooin-4avhichl may liavetans 26a 4at itstorward endifdesired. The sulfur chambers 3 have .pits 28 in Which sulfur is .burnedthe fumes `being directed therefrom .finto the chambers.

Adjustablefcurtains suchlas 29 or doors orthe likeai'e provided betweenthe rooms v.and chambersiand further. the rooms and chambers may bedivided. into. sections. In

orderfto coninethe'umes orheated air to jthe Varea `under l treatmenteach rack yhas ftransverse'- slats orribs BOsecured to its floor-gandxeach'slat carries 0n its upper edge a ilexiblelap Slot leatherorthe like that is .adapted lto contact with the transverse frame members13 rof .the rackiabove it in f the set.

l Svveatbins'tor storing the driedfruits may-be provided in.- theupperpart ofthe and outlet doors 'for removing 1 it fmay be provided..The-.parts described forma complete Afzac- Vroom is for the purpose ofWiltin the evaporating chamberQ, the second'sec- `is illustrated thereis a'furnacer tory building with preparing room 1 (the racks 6 formingthe preparing tables) sulfuring chambers 3, Wilting room 4 andevaporating chamber 2. The preparing room is also the clearing off room,and the sweating Y floor or bins 32 complete the plant.

Itis to be understood that the Wilting g the fruit prior to passing itinto the' evaporating chamber.

VIn-:describing the carrying of the invention into effect it Will bedescribed as with a single raclrsinceV each rack lmay beeperatedyindependently` but the "number of -racks in a set lor tier and thenumber of sets of racks will be as required. i

AIn operationr the empty rack 6 is kdrawn intothevpreparing room'l and=loaded With fruit. It is tlienfpassedthrough-the evapo- 85 ratingcliamber/Qfand `the Wilting'room 4 into` thefsuliring chamber 3.

1f the Jfruit is to be sullured-the doors at the ends of thechambers''are closed and the necessary quantity ofsulfur -burntWithinthe -pits 28,:the' fumes y.therefrom passing into" the sulfuring-chamber 3'.

jAfter this treatment thefrackY 6 is drawn -backfand its first sectionIpositioned Within tion `beingx Within the ivilting room 4.

Afterthe fruit upon the section Within the evaporating chamber '2' has-been 'dried sufficiently the-rack 6 isl again moved the first sectionbeingl'moved into the kcleaning off roomiandzthel-section `Which kWasprevi- :ously 4inthe wilting room 4 being moved Yinto the evapora-tingchamber 2, a third; section being f moved intok the Wiltingroom.

lAfter treatment of @the second lsection Within the evaporatingchamberafthe rack 6 is again moved lbringing other sections into theevaporatine;` chamber 2 and the Wilting'rooin 4.,-.and this vprocess iscontinued untilfthe Whole llength ofvv the :rack has lpassed 'into andthrough the -evaporating chamber 2 :and the `treatedv fruit hasbeen iremoved.

,The rack is again-loadedxvithrfreslilfruit, passed backzthroughtheevaporating chamber and -Wilting room f into the sulturing chamber andthe operationis repeated.

A'Pri'ortoand after -eachmovement of the jrackl6 the various curtainsordoors along thexsidesffof the xevaporating room 2 are 120 opened and yclosed lt0 permit of such vmove- /ment WhatfI claim isz-'- 1.Anfevaporaton comprising a preparing #room7 an evaporatiiig chamber, ayvilt-ing 125 evaporating chamber and beneath' the roof,-

and .elevators i for raising f the 'i fruit thereto room. and:suliiuringchambers, the chambers fand rooms being provided ivithalined'tray y one'to the other.

levap'orator; comprising-a preparing 130 room, an evaporating chamber, awilting 6. In an evaporator :a number of racks 35 room, and sulfuringchambers, the evaporating chamber and wilting room being side by sideand betweeen the preparing room and sulfuring chambers, the chambers androoms being provided with alined tray supports to permit trays to bepassed from one to the other.

3. An evaporator, comprising a preparing Y room, an evaporating chamber,a wilting room, sulfuring chambers, the chambers and rooms beingprovided with a plurality of alined rows of tray supports, and aplurality of slidable trays on said supports.

4. In an evaporator, a plurality of compartments, a number of postsarranged in pairs transversely and in rows longitudinally in the severalcompartments sets or tiers of racks between each row of pairs of posts,and rollers onthe posts to support the racks and allow them to betraveled longitudinally.

5. .In an evaporator an evaporating room provided with a heating systemand having a number of posts arranged in rows and in pairs and carryingrollersupon which a number of racks are supported and traversed into andthrough the evaporating room, the sides of said room being open butfitted with curtains or doors of canvas, sheet metal or wood that may beadjusted to close the openings between the top of the room and theuppermost rack for the time being, as and when required.

each. of which comprises two side bars of either metal or wood, runningthe full length of the rack, transverse pieces fastened thereto atintervals forming sections, longitudinal and diagonal straining wires,and a covering of foraminous material.

7.V In an evaporator a number of racks each of which comprises two sidebars made up of lengths of metal pipe joined together by screw threadedplugs, cross pieces fastened to the said side bars at intervals dividingthe rack into sections, each of which sections is provided with stoutstraining wires and with aV suitable covering.

8. In an evaporator having a number of racks each of which compriseslongitudinal members, Vtransverse members secured theresoL to atintervals, longitudinal and diagonal k straining wires and a covering orfloor, slats secured to the Hoor of each rack at intervals correspondingto the transverse members and iieXible strips secured to the edge ofeach slat adapted to contact with the transversemembers of the rack nextabove in the set or tier. f

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in the presence of two subscribing'witnesses this 18th day ofvJanuary 1921.

V FRANCIS WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

ARTHUR GORE CoLLrsoN, STANLEY ROY CHASE.

